Destinations
Hotels in Piemonte,Italy
Piemonte is less well known than Tuscany or Umbria but has a character no less individual, charming and picturesque. A region of alpine mountains in the north with great ski runs, flat rice-producing river deltas further south where Risotto is born. Magnificent, majestic and memorable for its beauty Piemonte offers much to the curious traveller. The harsh soil produces rolling white wine vineyards of Langhe and Asti fame. Visit the ski resorts in winter and in summer the attractive villages, forested hills dotted with medieval castles. Almost at its centre you’ll discover the city of Turin, known throughout the world as a great industrial centre but in fact, outstandingly rich in architectural gems, both modern and in particular Baroque mainly because for a short period it was the capital of Italy in the late 1860’s.
This is a region visited by nature lovers as away from the incredible cities there are many large national parks. The Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso has miles of unspoiled natural beauty: mountain peaks and meadows, rare wildlife and flowers. The splendid palaces, parks and hunting lodges of the now ex royal family of Italy the Savoia, removed by Mussolini and the fascists can be visited in the countryside near the chocolate capital of Turin. Piemonte beckons lovers of wine and food, art and architecture and dramatic ski-scapes. Cuneo, Alessandria and Biella as well as lake Maggiore offer a panorama as far removed from the south as if it were a different country entirely.
We have picked out a selection of our favourite hotels in Piemonte for you to have a look through, including 5 star spa resort.
For even more choice please use our search function.
Things to do in Piemonte
- Visit Asti: Apart from being the main producer of sparkling wines, Asti is the medieval and gothic town of hundred towers (most are much reduced in height) and truly beautiful. It also has a cracking palio horse race in September and an unusual museum dedicated to the poet and playwright Vittorio Alfieri that is well worth the entry fee.
- Wine tasting: Although it is difficult to represent any wine region in a condensed form, Piemonte presents particular difficulties, given the complexity and variety of its wines. In fact, if you do nothing more than sample the eternal King and Queen, Barolo and Barbaresco you’ll have a great time. Gattinara (mostly nebbiolo grapes), Dolcetto d’Alba, Asti, Gavi and Brachetto offer a world of pleasure.
- Sport and skiing: Home to the 2006 winter Olympics it is no surprise that there are many great ski slopes. We like Alagna Valsesia: Off-piste slopes in this area are among the longest and most exciting in the whole of the Alps, with over 2,500 metres in height difference and gradients of up to 45°. There are also routes for steep skiing enthusiasts, where professionals can make serious career progress.
- Cheese and chocololate: between the wonders of Gorgonzola and Murazzano lies a massive variety of local sheep and cow cheese made to traditional recipes and protected from modern trends. Turin is world famous for its chocolates and has a number of festivals dedicated to Gianduiotti and the Nocciola di Piemonte.
- Truffles: When dining out it would be something of a surprise if you didn’t have at least one dish on the menu based on the white truffle of Alba. One of the smelliest and most valuable commodities in the world. This underground fungus is more valuable weight for weight than gold.
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Astor Hotel - Set in beautiful parkland (4 stars)
We love Astor Hotel because...
The 4 star Astor Hotel sits within its own beautiful parkland and is located in the centre of Nervi.From £66.50 pppn
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